Aircraft



Nov. 1, 1932;

' s. L.VAN METER, JR

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AIRCRAFT Filed Aug. 2. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jmntov i I Sb/Omaha Patented Nov. 1, I932 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOLOMON LEE VAN METER, JR, OF WASHINGTON, DI'I'RICT OF COLUMBIA Application filed August 2, 1929. Serial No. 382,954.

This invention relates to aircraft, and partion consists in having detachably secured ticularly to an arrangement whereby, in an below the fuselage proper of the craft, a seemergency, that portion of the machine ries of compartments, a passenger compartcupied by the passengers may he landed by ment, a combination kitchen and lavatory means of a parachute. Safety appliances, or toiletcompartment, and a third compart- 65 comprisin parachutes, have heretofore been ment in which is stored the main parachute p'roposedfbut an analysis of numerous airand the pilot parachute, 'all of these comcraft accidents occurring in the last ten partments being so arranged with res ect to years shows conclusively that ev large the fuselage that, when the craft .is alling,

1 percentage of the lives lost in those accithey may all be instantaneously released '60 dents might have been saved if it had been from the fuselage, the parachute ejected possible to reduce the time interval between from its compartment, and, upon the parathe decision to abandon the craft and the chute opening and offering resistance to the time at which the parachute, in the appadownward movement of the other-compartratus then used, fully opened after the apments to which it is connected said other 65 paratus had been put into use in the when compartments will move relatively to .the gency. For instance, in the use of the seatfuselage in a plane substantially'parallel to pack or back-pack typeof parachute (this the line of movement of the falling craft as type being stressed because the same has a whole. In other words, there are no mabeen adopted as standard equipment), there terial projections from the fuselage and no 70 i a ti i t l of approximately six to obstructions whatever to damage or intereight seconds lost in unfastening the safety fore with the movement of the passenger belt, climbing out of and jumping clear of compartment and toilet compartment rearthe craft, pulling the rip cord, and inwait- Wardly of the craft. These compartments ing about two seconds thereafter for th being thus free to move rearwardly with reparachute to open. spect to the fuselage in a plane substantially In view of the foregoing, the primary arallel with the direction of movement of object of the present invention is to produce the craft as a whole, there is no necessity of a type of parachute apparatus that can be the compartments being lifted, so to speak,

placed in operation in what is believed to be out of the fuselage or moved in a direction 80 a minimum amount of time. i at an angle to the direction of the fallin Another object of the invention is to procraft. vide a safety arrangement wherein the ac- Another object conslsts in providing means cupants of the craft are landed in the paswhereby the combination of kitchen and senger carrying portion of the craft. toilet compartment may be detached from 85 In the preferred form of craft, the passenthe passenger compartment proper, if do gers are carried in a cabin compartment, and sired. in this instance the invention contemplates A still further ob ect is the prov1s1on of a construction of craft wherein the passenmeans whereby the load lines connecting the ger cabin, as Well as the parachute for landparachute with the passenger cab1n may be 90 ing the same, are sure to free or clear themdetached from the cabin, if desired. ThlS 1s selves of other portions of the craft When important because, upon occasions after the the latter is abandoned in an emergency. In cabin has landed on the surface of the earth, this instance, therefore, it may be said that atmospheric conditions might be such that the invention contemplates a safety applithe the parachute would tend to drag the 5 ance in which the speed of operation is recabin along the ground. Under these cirduced to a minimum and rehability of opcumstances, it is advantageous to be able to eration is raised to what is believed to be the free the parachute from the cabin.

hi hest degree possible. With these and other objects in view, the 50 filore specifically, this phase of the inveninvention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended clalms.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an airplane, of the monoplane t pe, havin a cabin for the assengers, the i1 ustration in more or ess conventional and portions of t e interior construction being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken horizontally throu h the upper portions of the cabin and 0t er compartments;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, longitudinally of the craft, intermediate portions being broken away to reduce the over-all di mension of that portion of the craft illustrated;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, partly in section, of the attaching devices for suspending the several compartments from the fuselage;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken transversely of the craft, illustrating the attaching devices for suspending the compartments from the fuselage Fi 6 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 5 an illustrating the construction shown in that figure; j

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views, illustrating the arrangement for attaching the ends of the sus ension-members in Figs. 5 and 6;

ig. 9 is a detail view showing the attachment of the parachute load lines to the passenger compartment and themeans for releasing said load lines from the compartment;

Fig. 10 is a detail view showing the manner in which the main parachute is stored in its compartment;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the passenger cabin;

Fig. 12-is a plan view of the devices shown in- Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a more or less diagrammatical illustration of the passenger cabin being landed by the parachute;

Fig. 14 is a detail view of the connections between the parachute load lines and cabin;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation showing the application of certain features of the present invention to a two-seated plane;

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the plane shown in Fig. 15;

Figs. 17 and 18 are front and side elevations of the means for disconnecting the load lines from the plane in Fig. 15; and

Fig. 19 is a detail plan view of the rudder operating connections.

In accordance with the present invention, the preferred form of craft comprises the passenger cabin 10 having an entrance door 11 and, in its interior, seats 12 similar to seats in present-day Pullman cars, in that they may be transformed into sleeping quarters. In the rear of the passenger cabin and communicating therewith, there is a comartment 13 that may be sub-divided for kitchen and toilet purposes. In the rear of this compartment 13, there is a second compartment 14, in which is carried the main parachute 15. At the forward end of cabin 10, there is seating space 16 for the pilot,

giving him ready access to the various operating elements such as the rudder throttle, and control stick, indicated at 17. Iioth pilot and relief pilot are fastened in their seat by means of safety belts. Connections 18 for the rudder are also shown extendin from the compartment at the forward end 0% the craft to the rear end thereof. The supportingsurfaces for the craft are wings 20 and the rudder and stabilizer are indicated at 21, 21a, respectively, but as these portions of the craft may be of any design, a detailed illustration thereof is not deemed necessary, nor need a further description thereof be given herein.

As above outlined, upon the aircraft getting out of control and falling, it is desirable that the passenger carrying cabin be capable of moving rearwardly of the falling fuselage upon being freed therefrom and its movement retarded by parachute 15. For this reason, cabin 10 and the compartments 13 and 14, which normally constitute obstructions in the rear of said cabin, are all detachably secured to the under surface of the fuselage of the craft. One form of means for supporting the cabin compartments below the fuselage proper is shown in detail herein, and is preferred by reason of the fact that said means can all be released simultaneously upon the means for ejecting parachute 15 from compartment 14 being rendered operative.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 8, the bottom of compartment 14 is formed of a pivoted member 22, pivoted at 23, one end of said pivoted member being engaged by a hook 24, to which is attachedan elastic element 25 having one end secured at 26 in the upper portion of said compartment. The opposite end of said pivoted bottom 22 is engaged by a latch 27, said latch being normally held in locked position by a cable 28, as will be hereinafter described. In the latched end of pivoted bottom 22 there is a recess 29 in which is normally contained a spring opened pilot parachute 30, connected to the main parachute 15, and upon latch 27 being released, pivoted bottom 22 is turned outwardly from the craft with considerable force, so as to expel or project the pilot parachute 3O outwardly from the craft. At the same time, the main parachute 15 is also projected outwardly from compartment 14 by an elastic member 31, whose end portions are secured to the sides of the compartment by hooks 32 and whose intermediate portion embraces said parachute 15, as shown more in detail in Fig. 10. As shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, the cabin and compartments 13 and the pilot seat 16, loops formed-insaid cable 14 are detachably connected to the longitudinal members 33 of the fuselage by cables 34. The ends of said cables are permanently attached to said longitudinal members 33, and the intermediate looped portions of the cables embrace a metal button 35, the cable being received in suitably formed recesses 36 in the side of said button. These buttons 35, and the looped portions of cables 34 embracing the same, are normally received in recesses 37 in members 38 assembled on the cross members 39 on the framework of the respective compartments, the buttons bein held in position in said recesses by pivote latch members 41 pivoted at 42 on fixed ortions of the several compartments. ach member 38 is provided with a hook shaped portion 43, engaging over its respective latch 41 and a spring 44 on said hook shaped ortion engages said latch 41 to yieldingly old it against movement. The free ends of the -several pivoted latch members 41, at respecupon their pivotal pins simultaneously. This connection may consist of a cable 46, or a series. of cables, as shown, extending from' the rearmost latch 41 to a drum 47 adjacent 46 lgeing engaged and fastened around the cylindrical surfaces of spool-like members 45 of the several successive latches 41. It

will be understood that there is a cable 46 of said rods, there is a spring 52 that is nor-- mally held under compression. The drum is held against turning in a clockwise direction by stops 47a as shown in Fig. 3 and the normal position of arms 49 is such that they are below dead center. However, upon rotation of the drum shaft in a counter-clockwise direction by handle levers 53 a distance suficient to move the arms 49 above deadcenter,

springs 52 become operative to continue suchw rotation of the drums ina counter-clockwise direction with the result that cables 46 are pulled forwardly'and the pivoted latching members 41 withdrawn from the hookshaped portions 43' of the members 38 and from over the buttons 35. The buttons 35 and the. embracing looped portions of the cables 34 are thereby freed from the recesses in which they are otherwise normallylocked,

their movement out of the recesses being augmented by springs 40, thereby releasing the several compartments from the fuselage of the craft.

Latch line 28 of latch 27 for the bottom of compartment 14 is normally held in a recess in one of the members 38 in a manner corresponding to that in which the members 34 are secured therein, so that at the time said members are released, for the purpose of detachin the several compartments, the latch 27 is simultaneously released, with the result that the pilot parachute and main parachute are both projected outwardly from the craft, as before described. Assuming that a time interval of two seconds is necessar for the opening up of the parachute, it will be seen that with this arrangement the total time interval betweenthe moment when it is decided to abandon the craft, upon the craft getting out of control, and the time that the parachute is o ened, for the purpose of taking off the 10a of the cabin and retarding its descent, is reducedto substantially the two second time limit that is required for the opening of the parachute. In other words, one operation only is required of the pilot for the purpose of freeing the passenger compartment from the fuselage and ejectmg both the pilot and main parachutes'from their normal place of storagi and, as it will be ap reciated that the discharge or projection o the parachute from its place of storageis practically instantaneous, the only time limit involved is the o ening of the parachute for the purpose of ta ing up its load.

With this arrangement it .will alsobe observed that although the compartment 13 and other than that imposed upon them by the load constituted by the cabin and the occupants thereof.- Thatis, it is not necessary that the cabin move, to any extent, at an angle to-the fuselage, as there are no obstructions of an nature whatever in the rearthereof to bin or its rearward motion relatively to the fuselage after it has been released therefrom and its load transmitted to the parachute.

In Fig. 11, there is shown more or less conventionally, .one form of sleeping accommodations for the occupants of cabin 10. Such accommodations may consist of upper and lower berths suspended inthe cabin by resilient members 57 suitably attached to fixed portions of the cabin. In the day time, the seat cushions 56 are supported on longitudinal bars 80 and the bars are in turn su ported by legs 81 hinged thereto. Lateral s ipping of the seats on the bars is prevented by cleats 84 while movement of the seats longitudinally of the bars is prevented by cleats 83 engaging pro'ections 84 on said bars. At night tlme the inged seat and seat backs are laid on sai bars 80, the hinged le folded u and the bars suspended on the e astics 57 a as shown in Fig. 11.

As above pointed out, it ma under certain conditions, be desirable to ree the para:

'chute from the cabin- For instance, after Y the cabin has been safely landed, in an emergency, the velocity of the wind might be such that the parachute would actually drag the cabin along the surface of the earth, with possibility of injuring the passengers, or at least certainly making it very uncomfortable for them. To provide 'for such circumstances, the load lines are detachabl secured to the cabin. One form of sai detac'hable connections is shown in Figs. 9, 12, I

and 14. In this form, the load lines 55 are provided at their ends with ring members 58 through which pins 59 engage, said pins 59 also extending throu h alined apertures in ri members 60, fixedly secured at the upper sur ace of the cabin. These pins 59, at one end, are formed with apertures in which cotter pins 61 may be secured, said cotter pins being of such a size that they may be readily severed by the ap lication of a comparatively smallpulling orce on said pins in an efiort to withdraw them from ring members 60. For this purpose, each pin 59 has secured thereto a line 62, said lines terminating in the interior of cabin 10, at which point they. are attached to a drum 63 capable of being rotated by a hand wheel 64. With this arrangement, if the occupants within the cabin wish to free the parachute from the in a the ring proper o ter pins 61 will be ruptured or broken and rings 58 in the load lines released. It should also be mentioned at this point that if it is necessary to reduce the load on the parachute, compartment 13, which is normally attached to cabin 10, can be freed or released therefrom by an occupant of the cabin. As shown in Fig. 3, compartment 13 is detachably secured to compartment 10 by one or more hooks 65 engaging the bar 66,- the hooks being formed as extensions or handles 67 pivoted in the cabin at 68. The hooks 65 are normally retained in their bar enga 'g position by rings 69 engaging over the ends of handle 67 but as will be understood, by lifting the rings 69, the handles 87 may be bers 60, one of said the pivo cabini it is only necessary to rotate drum 63 manipulated to disengage the hooks 65 from said bar. Any number of such hooks 65 may be utilized, but as they will, naturally, be counterparts of each other, only one has been shown in the present instance. Certain other more or less minor featur might be mentioned. For instance, a ring 70 attached to latch line 28 is somewhat larger than 'the aperture 71 in the partition 72 so that said latch line cannot fall below the compartment 14 and become entangled with the .parachute. As shown in Fig. 10 said parachute is stored in a canvas cover 15a that will readil unfold when the parachute is projected om compartment 14 by the elastic 31. Elastic 31 passes through a iece of flattenedaluminum tubing 73, and interposed between said tubing and covering 15a is a light piece of ply wood 74. To prevent pins 59 binding in the holes in memoles is morein the form of a slot as shown at 60a. To reduce the oscillation or swinging of cabin 10 after it has been freed from the fuselage and while it is suspended from the parachu sails 75, 75a are stretched between the loa lines 55 as showninFi .13. ,if

In the type 0 plane illustrated in Figs. 15 to 18, the parachute is adapted to be stored in the com artment 114, bein supported on bottom 122 of sai compartment. The arrangement for retaining pivoted bottom 122 in parachute supporting position and for projecting said bottom outwardly, as well as the means for projectin the parachute out of its com artment w en bottom 122 is opened, is the same in this modified type of lane as in the cabin t For instance, t e latching end of the ttom 122 has a recess 129 therein for the pilot parachute, and said recessed end is engaged by the latch 127, which is releasably held in its normal locked position by one end of cable 128 being secured in the member 133 in the same fashion in which the latch line and cables in the other form of apparatus are held in normally locked osition. The mem- Mr 133 is normall hel against movement by latch 141, to w ich is connected a cable 146 whose forward end is attached to 147 forward of the pilots seat 116. Drum 147 is actuated by handle lever 153 and spring 152, as will be understood from the previous de'scri tion. It should be mentioned that in F1 15, 'it is assumed that the parachute has n discharged from its com artment so that the plane200 is suspen ed therefrom b the load lines 155. In this modification, t e load lines are also ada ted .to be detached from the plane as in t e other type. That is, the lower en of each load line is on by a pin 159, held in place by breaka le cotter ms 161, ins 159 projecting through-coupling mem rs 160, secured to the to the ream-re pants of the plane may descend with the parachute when the parachute is thus free from the plane, the pilot who occupies seat 116, as well as any passenger that may occupy seat 116a,, is adapted to be provided with parachute harness, whereby they may be connected to one of the load lines 155 by auxiliary load lines 155a. I

-What I claim is:

1. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin-detachably secured below said fuselage, a parachute carried by said craft capable of supporting the passenger-carrying cabin, and means for projecting the parachute from the craft, said passengercarrying cabin being separate'from the fuselage but movable substantially parallel to the line of movement of the'fuselage when released from the fuselage upon the craft gettin out of control and faHmg by gravity toward the earth.

2. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a series of compartments detachably secured below said fuselage, a parachute supported in one of said compartments and connected to the other compartment, means for simultaneously releasing all of said compartments from the fuselage and for projecting the parachute from its compartment.

3. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a lurality of compartments detachably secure below said fuselage, a parachute supported in one of said compartments and connected to another of said compartments, means for positively'ejectingthe parachute from its compartment and means for simultaneously releasing all of said compartments from the fuselage and rendering saidpara chute ejecting means operative.

4. In aircraft, the combination of the fusel a passenger cabin detachably sup 'orted be ow the fuselage, and a parachute or retarding descent of said cabin when detached v from the fuselage, said cabin being movable relative to the fuselage and in a plane substantially parallel tothedirection'of the' movement of: the craft by a retarding effect of said parachute when detached from the fuselage upon the craft getting out of control.

5. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin detachably connected to said fuselage and adapted to move relative to the fuselage in a plane substantially parallel to the direction 7 of movement of the fuselage when said fuselage and cabin ate disconnected upon the craft getting out of control and gravitating to earth and a'parachute connected to said cabin for retarding the deicent thereof when detached from thefuseage.

6. Ir. aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger compartment detachably secured below the forward portion of the fuselage, a separate compartment detachably connected to the fuselage in rear of said cabin, a parachute in said rear compartment, and a load-line connecting said parachute and passenger compartment, said compartments being adapted to move rearwardly with respect to the fuselage when disconnected therefrom upon the craft getting out of control.

7. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin detachably secured below the forward portion of the fuselage, a separate compartment detachably connected to the fuselage in the rear of said cabin, a parachute in said rear compartment, a loadline connecting said parachute and cabin, means for projecting said parachute from its compartment and means for releasing said cabin and compartment andfor rendering said parachute-projecting means operative upon the craft getting out of control, said cabin and compartment being adapted to move rearwardly with respect to the. fuselage when disconnected therefrom and when said parachute has released.

8. In aircraft, he combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin detachably secured below the forward portion of the fuselage, a communicating compartment detachably associated-with both said fuselage and cabin,

a second compartment detachably connected to the fuselage in rear of said cabin and communicating compartment, a parachute in said rear compartment, and a load line connecting said parachute and cabin, said cabin and compartments being adapted to move rearwardly with respect to the fuselage when disconnected therefrom upon the craft getting out of control.

9. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin releasably secured below the forward portion of said fuselage and terminating forwardly of the rear end of said fuselage, there being portions of the craft depending below said fuselage and form-ing obstructions in rear of said cabin, a parachute carried by said craft within said obstructing portions and a load line connecting said cabin and parachute, said obstructions being detachably secured to the fuselage whereby they may be released and the space below the fuselage in rear of said cabin cleared upon the craft getting out of control.

10. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a plurality of compartments below said fuselage, a series of members on said compartments, supporting elements connectsaid elements.

11. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a plurality of compartments below said fuselage, a series of members on said compartments, supporting elements attached to said fuselage, means for securing said supporting elements to said members, and means or simultaneously releasing said elements from said members, said compartments being movable rearwardly of the craft upon release of said sup orting elements.

12, In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a compartment below said fuselage, a seriesof members on said compartment, supporting elements attached to said fuselage and said members, a latch engagin each member and the attached portionof t e corresponding suspension element to attach the supporting element thereto; and means for simultaneously actuating all 'of said latches to free the supporting elements from said members, said compartments being movable rearwardly of the craft upon the release of said elements.

13. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a compartment below said fuselage, an anchor member on said compartment, said anchor member havin a recess therein, a supporting cable attac ed at its ends to the fuselage and having an intermediate looped portion engaging in said recess, a latch normally retaining the looped portion ofthe supporting cable in said recess, and means for actuating said latch to, free the suspension element from said recess.

14. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a compartment below said fuselage, an anchor member on said compartment, said anchor member having a recess therein, a suspension element attached to said fuselage, pivoted latching means engaging a portion of said suspension element and retaining it in said recess, means for disengaging said latching means from said element, and means for moving said retained portion of the suspension element out of said recess when said latching means are disengaged therefrom.

15. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a compartment below said fuselage, an anchor member on said compartment, said anchor member having a recess therein, a suspension element attached to said fuselage, latching means for normally retaining a portion of said suspension element in said recess, means for rendering said latching means inoperative, and a spring in' said recess engaging the retained portion of the suspension element and tending to project said portion out of said recess. I

' a localized'cen 16. In aircraft the combination of the fuselage a 7 passenger cabin, said fuselage being a aIpted to carry the source of power for prope ing the craft and the controls'for navigating the same, accommodations for a pilot in said cabin, means for detachably su porting said cabin on said fuselage, said ea in being movable rearwardly of the craft upon release from the fuselage and means for landin said cabin safely when detached from the usela e in an emergency.

17. In aircra he combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin, releasable securin devices for detachably suspending said ea in from the fuselage, a arachute for landing said cabin when detac ed from the fuselage in an emergency, manually o' rable means for initiall manipulating sai securin devices for re easing them, and automatica y operable means for completing the release of said devices.

18. In aircraft, the combination of the fuselage, a passenger cabin, said fuselage being adapted to carry the source of power for propelling the craft and the controls for naviting the same, a seat for a pilot in said cabin 1n proximity to said controls, releasable securing means for detachably support ng sa d cabin on the fuselage, means for landmg said cabin safely when the latter is detached from the fuselage in an emergency, and means 0 erable from the pilots seat for releasing t e cabin from said fuselage.

19. A safety device for landin passengers orcargo from an airplane in t, comprising a compartment within whac passengers or cargo are received, a arachute comprlsm a canopy and load distri uting meansexten ing downwardly therefrom termmatmg m a localized central point beneath said canopy, means for supporting said compartment from the terminus of said load distributing means consi'stin of a load cable dependm therefrom an a pluralit of branch cab es radiating outwardly an downwardl from the lower end of said load cable, the ower ends of said branch cable being anchored to and supporting said compartment at spaced polnts, and means for amping out the tendencv of said compartment to be osclllated by sai canopy when suspended therefrom, and damping means comprisingl a pair of vanes mounted u n the top of sai complartment 1n substanti y vertical planes 'spoeed at right angles to each other so as to resist and damp out. thetendency of said compartment to be swung by said canopy as the latter tilts to spill air.

20. A safety device for landin prs or cargo from an airplane in fli t, comprising a compartment within whic passengers or cargo are received, a parachute comprising a canopy and load distributing means extending downwardl therefrom, terminating trfi point beneath said canopy, means for supporting said compartment from the terminus of said load distributing means consisting of a load cable depending therefrom and a plurality of branch cables radiating outwardly and downwardly from the lower end of said load cable, the lower ends of said branch cables being anchored to and supporting said compartment at spaced points, and means for damping out the tendenc of said compartment to be oscillated-by said canopy when suspended therefrom, said damping means comprising a pair of substantially vertical sails or vanes carried directly above said compartment and held extended at substantially right angles to each other by said branch cables so as to resist and damp out the tendency of said compartment to. be swung by said canopy as the latter tilts to spill air.

SOLOMON LEE VAN METER, JR. 

